Data Manipulation
Data Manipulation is a technology utilized by the Tekgnos Federation in order to alter reality itself to a limited degree. By accessing the underlying World Code of Paraiso, the Tekgnos can temporarily alter the code to suit their designs. Due to its apparently magical effects, to apply the magical standard to Data Manipulation would class it as a " Pseudo-methodology". The alterations are intentionally temporary, as a means to avoid destruction by the dreams, which function not only as expansion factors, but also as a self-defense system of the universe. Earlier experiments without this knowledge have led to the destruction of the particular devices being used to manipulate the data, as well as the deaths of those operating them. Data Manipulation differs from miracles in the sense that the latter is a lawfully "impossible" action invoked by a god - that is to say a being with administrator privileges to the universe. The former, on the other hand, is a lawfully "impossible" action that is performed by temporarily modifying the laws to make it lawfully "possible", much like a hacker tampering with the base code in order to allow his 'regular member' account to do what is normally restricted to moderator accounts. Because the code itself is tampered with, and the account responsible has no administrator privileges, the dreams view this as a malicious action and thus, seek to rectify it. Timer Function A function developed by those in charge of Data Manipulation, the Timer Function is embedded into every data manipulation program in use by the Tekgnos Federation. Upon execution of a program, the Timer Function calculates how much time is available to maintain the code alteration safely. Once the information is returned, it sets the Main function to run only for that long. Due to the variability of the dreams, there is no constant length of time, and as such, commanders must be prepared to work within great time constraints to exploit the tactical and strategic advantages provided by the execution of a program. Code Proportion As a rule, the amount of code that is altered by Data Manipulation is inversely proportional to the amount of time available for the program to keep running. This can be considered logical by common sense, as larger-scale alterations to the world and/or universal codes are potentially greater disruptions to the order of the universe, and as such, will be prioritized by the dreams more highly than smaller-scale programs. At the lower extreme on the individual scale, the Timer Function can allot a program anywhere from several minutes to an hour of run-time. On the other hand, at the upper extreme of the strategic level, the Timer Function at most gives a program several seconds, with the record for longest run-time being thirteen seconds. As such, strategic-scale programs tend to resemble large-scale direct action spells, though some that fit other spell types also exist, depending on the commander's style. Distribution Use of Data Manipulation is highly restricted, and so far has only found widespread usage in military applications. At the lowest level, it is available only to elite and special forces units. The responsibility of creating programs and running them falls to a single member of the unit, typically a Logistician. Thus the duty compounds with his task of handling unit supplies, which, in a sense, is tangentially related to data manipulation, owing to the nature of Digital Space as an artificial pocket universe. Basic The standardized data manipulation programming language. It is a hybrid language that combines some procedural and declarative elements. Equipment As Data Manipulation is a class of technology rather than a magical methodology, its creation and activation is based on the use of devices, rather than plain magical knowledge. There are two principal devices needed to successfully enact data manipulation. Editor-Compiler Simply put, a device used to create a program. An editor allows a user with sufficient knowledge of Basic to create a program of specific function, and then compile it. Once compiled, the program can be saved, and is ready to be run by the Shell. Shell A device used to run programs that have been compiled. The Shell accesses the World Code and runs the program, creating a bridge that allows it to alter reality according to its specifications. Shell takes on the appearance of a glove, and is activated by waving the hand. A command prompt then opens, requesting the name of the program to be run, either through typed or spoken means. Corporal Ferreck Leiser's Shell appears as a black glove on his right hand, sporting lines that glow blue. See also *Magic Category:Tekgnos Federation Category:Technology